2 fatally shot while driving in South L.A.

August 4, 2010 12:58:33 AM PDT

By John Gregory and Sid Garcia

SOUTH LOS ANGELES --

A double-murder investigation is under way in South Los Angeles after a man and woman were shot and killed while driving early Wednesday morning.Authorities said the shooting happened at about 3:30 a.m. It was unclear where the shooting took place, but the victims' car crashed at Slauson Avenue and Figueroa Street.

"We don't know right now where the shooting occurred. All we have is a vehicle and two dead occupants," said LAPD Capt. Dennis Kato.

Kato said the 76 gas station near the crash scene was open at the time, but no one reported hearing gunshots in the area.

The victims, both in their 50s, were rushed to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead. The victims have been identified but their names were not been released.

According to Kato, the 50-year-old male passenger was shot in the head and the 51-year-old female driver was shot several times in the torso area. Authorities say despite the driver's injuries, she could have driven about a mile before she lost consciousness and crashed.

Police said the car they were driving was a rental car and they do not know where the couple was driving from. The vehicle was traveling westbound on Slauson Avenue when it slammed into a power-line pole.

No one was arrested for the shooting. Anyone with information related to this case was urged to call the LAPD at (877) LAPD-24-7.